The Dudley Chronicles - Week 4

I found out that a contractor colleague of mine is staying in the same B&B in Stourbridge as me! He and another colleague invited me to their mid-week hike in nearby nature parks or woodlands. I agreed immediately since I really like hiking. But as usual, I got more than I bargained for. It was towards the end of May so it's not too chilly nor too hot. Perfect weather for outdoor activities.

They took me to Kinver Edge which had lots of hilltop views. Ergo, when you have hilltop views that means you have to climb. Oh god, I thought I was gonna die! The paths we walked were quite steep that I was panting like a dog. I could manage only a few meters at a time (near the top I think it was only a few feet at a time). Besides that I am overweight and not at all fit, I haven't done hiking in the last few years.

After the torture of the steep climb we were rewarded with great views across the Black Country, Birmingham, and we could even see as far as the Malvern Hills. Really nice. After about a couple of miles we went deep in the woods and explored some caves and saw some houses build right on to rock cliffs. I had a great time walking and exploring around. Good thing it was summer so even if we started at 7:30PM and finished at 10:30PM there was still light. Next stop is a pub, stayed there for a couple of drinks and headed home straight into bed at 11:30PM. Sleep has never been so welcome. Ahhhh ...

The Dudley Chronicles - Week 3

I got a nice quiet B&B this week. It was backing on to a cemetery so definitely no noise in the evening! So nice as well to look over all that open space broken only by the peaks of the tombstones. :)

Well besides that, this is the first homely B&B that I've been in that's got all kinds of electrical entertainment in each room. Name it they have it - cable TV, DVD player, VCR, CD player with radio, and PC with internet access. Ahhhhh bliss! Not only that he's got an extensive library collection of DVDs and VHS tapes. There are also stacks of books everywhere. So there's really no excuse to be bored. I also like that he just let the guests get on with their breakfasts in the well-stocked breakfast roon. No fussing around no waiting for the cooking to finish.

It's not the cheapest one around so for the second half of the week I tried another B&B in Stourbridge with the lowest rate I can find. And I was not disappointed. It's clean, has basic amenities, comfortable, and only 15 minutes drive to work. Good enough for me!